Top 10 Exact Moments When Comedians Destroyed Their Careers

#10: Stephen Ranazzisi Lies About 9/11

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In the aftermath of September 11, 2001, many harrowing stories came out about where people were on that day. But the one from “The League” star Stephen Ranazzisi wasn’t true. Early in his comedy career, Ranazzisi claimed he was working in the South Tower when the attack occurred. He allegedly got out of the building before it fell. Surviving the attack convinced Ranazzisi to pursue his dream of being a comedian. After he repeated and upheld this story for years, “The New York Times” exposed his lie in 2015. Although Ranazzisi apologized, his career never really recovered. He went from starring on a successful TV show for seven years to being mostly relegated to guest spots and podcast appearances.

Some comedians consider getting cast on “Saturday Night Live” officially making it in the biz. Before Gillis could truly celebrate that milestone, a deep dive into his background revealed some unsavory comments from “Matt and Shane's Secret Podcast.” On a 2018 episode, Gillis can be heard using racial and homophobic slurs. The outrage caused Lorne Michaels to fire the comedian only four days after being hired in 2019. Gillis would go on to issue an apology and continued to work. Over the next few years, he found success with comedy specials and even appeared in a series centered around“SNL” star Pete Davidson in 2023. His podcast comments ultimately seemed to stall his TV prospects for a few years.

We all knew him as the comedian with the loud voice. While we laughed at lots of the things Gilbert said, a few of his tweets drew frowns. In the wake of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that devastated parts of Japan, Gottfried posted a series of 12 tweets making light of the disaster. Many considered these jokes in poor taste, especially the insurance company Aflac. They quickly moved to drop Gilbert as the voice of their duck mascot. Despite the setback, his career in movies and TV continued to thrive. However, Gottfired didn’t pick up too many more commercial campaigns after he issued his tweets.

While “Saturday Night Live” heavily discourages hard cursing, the show has seen its fair share of accidental profanity over the years. One of the most infamous examples came from Charles Rocket. Hired for “SNL” during the 1980-1981 season, Rocket was billed as the replacement for original cast members Bill Murray and Chevy Chase. He even had his own segment called “The Rocket Report.” But it all came crashing down in the final moments of an episode after Rocket used a certain four letter f-word. A combination of his profanity and dissatisfaction with his overall performance that season led to his dismissal. It took Rocket a couple of years and a few smaller roles before he began getting steady work once more.

You might know him from the “Scream” franchise or his self-titled prank show entitled “The Jamie Kennedy Experiment.” If you didn’t know that he hosted a 2013 holiday show, we wouldn't blame you. Dubbed “the worst New Year’s Eve special ever” by some reporters, the show was plagued with technical issues. Kennedy made the situation worse with unfunny jokes, a random format, and a few offensive moments. As the cherry on top of this mess, he missed the actual countdown to New Years. He later said that the surreal tone of the show was intentional. But no matter what Kennedy’s true intentions were, he hasn’t starred in too many high profile roles since 2013.

#5: Paul Reubens Arrested

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Starring in 80s kids’ favorites like “Pee-wee’s Playhouse” and “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure,” Paul Reubens’ iconic, quirky character rocketed him to superstardom. After playing Pee-wee for almost a decade, Reubens decided to take a break from the character in 1991. That was the same year he was arrested in an adult movie theater for indecent exposure. Pee-wee toys were pulled from store shelves, and reruns of his shows were canceled. While he kept working for the next decade, a return to the role didn’t seem likely. But Reubens did eventually reprise the role of Pee-Wee Herman for wide audiences in a well-received Netflix special 15 years after his arrest.

Plenty of comedians made digs at Donald Trump before, during, and after his presidency. However, Kathy Griffin stood out with a particular image. The comedian infamously posed for a graphic photo where it appeared as if she was holding the then President’s head. Venues canceled her tour dates and she lost her yearly spot on CNN’s live New Year’s Eve broadcast. Additionally, Griffin was also investigated by government officials. After the initial controversy, she launched her “Laugh Your Head Off” comedy tour to take a jab at herself and the photo. She played some sold-out shows and even released a comedy special in 2019. In 2020, Griffin even brought the photo back.

#3: Louis C.K. Admits to Misdeeds

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At the height of his comedy career, Louis was starring on a successful TV show and awaiting the release of a film he wrote and directed. Everything was put on hold when a report by “The New York Times” included accounts from women accusing Louis of sexual misconduct. After the article came out, “Louie” network FX announced they would cease working with the comedian. The theater release of the comedian’s “I Love You, Daddy” movie was also canceled. Less than a year later, C.K. began performing in comedy clubs and releasing stand-up specials on his website. He also won a Grammy for Best Comedy Album in 2022. It’s still unclear whether C.K. will be cast in more mainstream tv and movie projects again.

Although Roseanne has not been a stranger to controversy, one particular tweet heavily derailed her career. In 2018, Barr compared Valerie Jarrett, one of Barack Obama’s senior aides, to an ape on Twitter. Many people did not take kindly to Barr’s remarks. And shortly after the tweet went viral, ABC canceled the revival. The network followed that by replacing the show with “The Connors”, which noticeably didn’t include Barr. In the years following the incident, Barr was largely absent from television and movies. Outside of a comedy special on Fox Nation, there were few indications that the comedian will be invited onto new projects as of May 2023.

#1: Michael Richards' Racist Tirade

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After his 9-year stint as the beloved Kramer on “Seinfeld,” Richards decided to go back to his stand up roots. In 2006, he was performing at the Laugh Factory when his set was interrupted by hecklers. Richards responded by going a racist tirade against the audience members. The entire incident was all captured on video and was widely covered by media outlets. While Richards apologized for his behavior, his words weren’t enough to get him back to his former heights. He retired from stand-up and picked up less than ten tv/film credits over the next 15 years. The racist tirade continues to cast a shadow over his career and legacy.